


The One Who Connects

by M34GS



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Aged-Up Characters, Angst, Betrayal, Death, F/M, Immortality, M/M, Magic AU, Magical race, Major and Minor Character Deaths, None of the ages are according to canon, Sort Of, Telepathy, This is a lot of Tags, Time Skips, War, aged-down characters, and a lot of ships, but i used a lot of characters, slowed aging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:41:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24583981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M34GS/pseuds/M34GS
Summary: A race known as the Simulterrians is under attack. In desperation, they use their member with the strongest ability to Connect to their Great Tree, which watches over them and provides healing and guidance.The war is won, but a betrayal occurs.Fifty years later, Tobio, a descendant of two of the Eight Guardians, struggles to find his place among his people as a young adult. He's always been treated differently due to his family's history, and he feels isolated from others because of this. During a visit to the Great Tree, he stumbles upon a secret. One that will force him to unveil the harsh truth; History is written by the victors.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Terushima Yuuji
Comments: 7
Kudos: 18





	1. Connect

**Author's Note:**

> Me: so I have two unfinished WIP that have been ongoing for a while, and another one I just started. I should probably work on one of those, since the last thing I posted was part of another series that I'm working on.
> 
> My brain:...or...consider this...we post another new WIP with multiple chapters!
> 
> Me:...but...but what about the other stories? Won't we finish them?
> 
> My brain: Oh, yeah. Eventually. 
> 
> Me:...fair enough.
> 
> why do I do this to myself. Anyway! I've been wanting to write this for a while, so enjoy!

The sky reddened with the approaching dusk. The water reflected it, making it difficult to tell exactly how much blood was flowing in the water. Shouyou gazed at the river below him with mournful eyes. His sister, Natsu, mistaking his sadness for reluctance, placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to do it, you know,” she whispered. “No one would blame you if you said no. If you just decided to fight in a different way.” Shouyou turned to her and felt a weak smile slide onto his face.

“Natsu.” He stared into her eyes, filled with worry, and shining with unshed tears. “I have to do this. I _want_ to do this. This is something only I can do. It will help us win. Besides, it’s not for forever,” he added placatingly, “just until the war is over. Then I’ll be back, I promise!” As much as he tried to summon his usual pep into his speech, it just fell flat. Shouyou swallowed and brushed her hand off his shoulder as he forced a wider grin on his face. “It’ll all be ok, just wait and see.”

Tears spilled over the edge of Natsu’s eyes. “No, it won’t! What if something goes wrong? What if we lose the war?! You’ll be totally undefended and vulnerable!” she cried and she shoved him. Shouyou stumbled back a step from the force of her shove. Natsu moved to strike out at him, but he caught her hands in his.

“If I do nothing, we will lose the war, Natsu,” he replied gently. “At least this way, we’ll have a chance.”

“But! But you could be killed so easily!” she protested again. Shouyou sighed.

“Natsu. If they’re at the point where they’re ready to kill me, then everyone else I love is already gone. At that point…I’d rather join my loved ones than live on alone!” As he spoke, a fire sparked in his warm brown eyes and he met her gaze with determination. “I _will_ do this.” Natsu stared into his eyes and her chin wobbled. Abruptly, she yanked herself toward him and nestled her face in the front of his shirt.

Natsu sniffled and Shouyou wrapped his arms around her, running a gentle hand through her short orange hair that resembled his own. With another sniffle, Natsu turned her face to the side slightly. “Wh-when did you be-come su-such a hero, b-big brother?” she whispered. With a glance down, Shouyou could see the hint of a proud smile in the corner of her mouth.

He smiled down at her. “I’m not a hero. I’m just doing what has to be done, my little sister.” He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head and let go. Natsu pulled back and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Wait for me to come back, yeah?” She nodded. Shouyou grinned, a real smile this time, and ruffled her hair. “That’s my sister.” He patted her shoulder and walked past her, further into the Great Tree.

He followed the path inside the Great Tree. It opened into the centre of the tree, stretching up in a large, round cavern. Vines covered the walkways inside the tree; the ones closest to the Core pulsed a soft blue light. Shouyou followed the vines up to the Core, a raised section inside of the tree. There was already a group gathered; the Elders, and eight of his friends. His Chosen Guardians. Shouyou smiled gently at them all.

Ikkei Ukai, one of the Elders, stepped forward. “Shouyou. It is a great honour to stand with you today. What you are about to do, it will not be forgotten,” he declared with a dip of his head. Shouyou laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ahaha, I uh, well…it’s an honour to serve my people,” he replied, his cheeks pink.

“Still, if this works,” Tanji Washijo, the oldest and most revered of the Elders, spoke up, “this will give us a great advantage. We can tip the balance with this plan.” He drew himself to his full height, which was not very tall, and looked at Shouyou with intense eyes. “It is remarkable, the power you have. The strongest Connection born to us in over a century. And your comrades; each of them possesses incredible and strong auras. Multiple Connections are difficult to pull off, but not impossible. Even though no one has ever attempted one on this scale, with your power and the strength of our people, I have no doubt this plan will succeed.”

Shouyou’s eyes widened and he bowed. “Y-yes. Thank you, sir,” he replied. When he straightened, his eyes wandered over to his friends. Each of them were dressed in their finest armor, with their feet bare so they could connect to the earth, and their weapons polished and sharpened to the point he felt in danger of being cut just by _looking_ at them.

Daichi and Koushi stood close together. They smiled at him warmly. Daichi held his spear and Koushi was armed with a bow and arrows. Next to them stood Aone, arms crossed over his broad chest, expression firm and determined, a battle ax strapped to his back. He gave Shouyou a nod. Shouyou smiled again and his gaze passed over to Asahi, who was just as tall as Aone but with a more gentle, yet still fierce, air about him. He patted the sword on his hip and gave Shouyou a hesitant smile. Next was Tetsurou, armed with daggers and a sword. He gave Shouyou an easy grin, as if they were out talking about ways to tease their friends, rather than participating in a war that could very well claim their lives. Akira Kunimi stood next to him, expression bored, and arms folded inside his robes, which hid light armour and a series of long-range and explosive weapons that terrified Shouyou to no end. He didn’t give more than a slight nod, but that was encouragement enough for Shouyou.

“Hey, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started and take down the Perderian scum!” That was Yuji. Shouyou didn’t have to look at him to know his friend was grinning and bouncing on the balls of his feet, a dagger in each hand and a bow on his back. He was always eager to be in the thick of the excitement, no matter what was happening. It had caused problems more than once in the past, but they worked through it, and now they could laugh about those times.

Yuji yelped as he was smacked on the back of the head by none other than his wife, also known as the eighth guardian; Kiyoko. She stood tall and proud, with a gentle face and passionate eyes. She held her spear firmly at her side and fixed her husband with a knowing look. “Don’t rush him,” she chided. She turned to Shouyou and gave him a gentle smile. She walked forward and brushed his orange hair out of his face. “We’re ready when you are, Shouyou,” she encouraged. Shouyou felt a nervous grin take over his face. His fingers trembled and he flexed his hands to hide it.

“R-right then,” he agreed. “Let’s do this.”

The Core had a small area in the very centre, where many of the vines converged. It was here that the blue light glowed brightest. Shouyou took a seat in the centre with those vines. His eight friends gathered around him, backs to him, facing outward, and ready for any potential trouble. Shouyou stared at their backs for a moment, and he felt a small comfort in their presence. He knew their role was twofold; they were to protect him, and if he should start to struggle, they were to let him use their energy. Closing his eyes, Shouyou swallowed nervously. His hands shook, and he couldn’t help the dread that tugged at the back of his mind, the little voice whispering _what if you don’t come back? What if you can’t break out of the trance? What if you’re stuck here forever? What if you die?_

Shouyou shook his head. _No. I won’t die. I can’t think like that. I’ll trust in my friends. I’ll trust in my Elders. They will pull me out of this._ He took a deep breath and decided not to wait any longer. He focused inside himself. At first, with his eyes closed, everything was dark. Then he saw it. A gentle blue glow. His power. His telepathy. His Connection to the Great Tree, the dirt, the animals, other citizens, everything. He reached in with his mind to the Connection. It was warm and soothing to him, easing his worries, silencing his fears. The Great Tree knew what he wanted. It wanted to help. To give him a channel to reach everyone. With another shaky breath, Shouyou took hold of his Connection in his mind, and then he shoved it down. He willed it down, to where his naked feet connected to the Great Tree. He could feel his power flowing out of him, flowing down, and then spreading, out and out and out. He heard a gasp, but Shouyou didn’t open his eyes. He concentrated on reaching his friends. Slowly, his Connection reached them. He felt them, their consciousnesses, and then he could see everything. He could see them all, he could see them from multiple views. He could hear all their thoughts, their fears, their wishes and dreams.

 _WHAT?_ That was Tetsurou. _Is this you, Shouyou?_

 _Oh my._ Kiyoko. _I can see…everything. Everything you all see._

 _Great. That’s gonna be another headache I don’t need. Filtering through everyone else’s sight as well as my own._ Akira. Shouyou felt a smile tug his lips, but he forced himself to continue concentrating. He continued to reach and stretch his power. He felt the thrum of life from the Great Tree, encouraging him, helping him along. He sent his gratitude to it and felt a warmth in return.

It was hard to concentrate with eight other people, initially, but soon Shouyou found himself completely devoted to his task. Stretch further. Connect. Connect. Connect. People. Trees. Grass. Animals. Even the insects. Connect them all. Let everyone see. Let everyone hear. Let them be able to use him, treat him as a connection, choose who they connected with, let their thoughts flow through like a channel.

He could hear them all, a little jarred by the sudden intrusion into their minds, but everyone had been warned. He let their thoughts flow freely through him. It wasn’t but a few moments when he felt some latching onto certain consciousnesses, ignoring others, figuring out how to adapt and use the flow to their advantage, to speak with who they wanted, control what they wished, show things to others. He let it happen. He was not here to monitor. He was here to Connect. They were adaptive, his race. That much he knew. They didn’t need him to guide, they just needed him to bridge them together.

_Connect. Connect. Connect. Kiyoko. Asahi. Yuji. Tetsurou. Daichi. Koushi. Aone. Akira. Ikkei. Tanji. Yasufumi. Hana. Chikara. Kazuhito. Yuu._

_So much light. So many colours. So many voices. I can hear them. Hear them all….but which one is mine? Who am I? What am I doing?_

_Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. I Connect. I am Connect. I Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect._

***

Kiyoko gasped when Shouyou started using his Connection. Truthfully, everyone had one to some degree, but his was the strongest by far. She’d never seen it physically manifest before, but now, as she looked at the vines that covered the Core around them, she knew what she saw had to be his power. The vines, which before only pulsed a soft blue, now glowed a strong and vibrant blue colour. And they hummed with power.

Kiyoko blinked, and suddenly she stumbled back a step. Her vision was distorted and blurred and shifting. She could see herself, but also could see in front of her and behind her… and a voice that was not her own sounded in her head.

 _WHAT?_ It sounded like Tetsurou. _Is this you, Shouyou?_

 _Oh my,_ Kiyoko thought, _I can see…everything. Everything you all see._

 _Great. That’s gonna be another headache I don’t need. Filtering through everyone else’s sight as well as my own._ Akira’s tone was only slightly annoyed. Amongst them all, she could feel Shouyou’s presence, but he didn’t participate in any of their internal conversations. She heard his voice in the background, a steady constant sound.

_Connect. Connect. Connect._

His voice faded into a steady buzz and Kiyoko found she could concentrate on her own thoughts and vision if she wanted to, and that would allow her not to see everyone else’s view. Everyone was taught how to focus their own Connection when young. This was not much different, just a larger scale.

When she closed her eyes, Kiyoko could see white. It was all white, until she concentrated harder and realized what she thought was a white light was really consciousnesses of every colour, expanded around her and woven and connected together like threads. Curious, she reached for one. To her surprise, she could suddenly see the Great Tree. From outside. She could hear the wind whistling past her and could feel it ruffle her…fur? _A squirrel. On a branch near the Great Tree._ Kiyoko let go of the connection to the squirrel. She reached for another one. This time, she found herself staring at a map. A map that was stretched out on a table. And two familiar hands.

_Yuu?_ She asked.

_K_ _iyoko?!_ Came the response. Kiyoko could feel the excitement and joy rolling off of Yuu, even though he was at the frontlines. _I can’t believe this is working!_

 _Will the connection be too much to handle?_ Kiyoko asked him. It was her greatest concern with this plan; that their people would be overwhelmed by the new Connection and lose.

_No. We are adjusting quickly. It’s not too much,_ he replied quickly. _We should have a few more hours before they are ready to attack again. We will be fine._

Relieved by her friend’s reassurance, Kiyoko pulled back from the conversation. She withdrew into herself again and opened her eyes. She needed to be ready.


	2. Betrayals and Broken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is won, but someone has betrayed them. 
> 
> A little girl waits for parents that will never return home.

It happened too fast, so fast Yuu didn’t understand fully what exactly happened.

He was at the frontlines. Bodies littered the ground before him. His comrades were engaged in combat, and here he was, overseeing, planning, able to tell them where to move, where to go, to point out their flaws from several meters away, all without saying a single word out loud. Their feet may be bare, but the Connection to the very earth they stood on prevented any missteps. After three days of fighting like this, using the Connection while fighting felt like a second nature. They knew where to step, where to avoid, all without seemingly knowing how they knew. The presence of nature was weaving with their own and Yuu could feel the power flowing through him from it.

It was how he knew. The enemy was mostly defeated, their leader captured. Yet no one dared deliver the killing blow, not without permission from the Elders. It was a custom older than any of them could remember. Most were uncertain how it came about, but some speculated it made sense. If the Elders needed information from the other side, the leaders and higher ranks would be able to provide the most insight.

Yuu approached the circle surrounding the fallen commander. The Perderian snarled up at him, yellow eyes bright and piercing, and ugly face twisted in a scowl. Yuu withdrew his consciousness from the others surrounding him and focused on a direct line, back to the Elders.

_Permission to dispatch him?_ He asked. He was supposed to ask if they wanted to keep him, but the rage he felt at the war that had been unjustly and suddenly started, the anger and grief over his peoples’ deaths, made it difficult for him to stomach that. Even so, he was surprisingly, not reprimanded for his oversight.

_Permission granted._ It was Tanji Washijo who answered. Yuu nodded. He withdrew from the Elders and focused on the enemy in front of him, bloody and pinned to the ground with a spear stuck through his leg. Yuu approached him and drew his sword. He could feel the Elders at the edge of his consciousness.

Maybe that was why.

_No! Stop! What are you doing?!_ The words rang clear through the Connection, and Yuu stopped, even though he knew they weren’t directed at him. In fact, it sounded like Daichi. Others around him tilted their heads or murmured amongst themselves, confused. It was clear they hadn’t heard the voice.

_Continue, Yuu,_ came Ikkei’s voice, but he sounded distracted, distant. Regardless, Yuu nodded and stepped forward with his sword once more. Only to stop again. Rage. Undeniable, uncontrollable rage. Protectiveness.

_Stop! What are you doing?!_ It was Tetsurou’s voice now, Yuu was certain of it. Something was happening at the Great Tree. And he was hearing it through his Connection to the Elders.

_FUCK YOU!_ Asahi? Yuu felt cold wash through him as he heard his beloved, a man who, although being strong, firmly believed everyone deserved a chance for redemption. A man who never cussed. Yuu could feel his hands start to tremble.

_Hurry up, commander!_ Tanji barked through the connection.

_TRAITOR!_ There were many voices this time and Yuu stumbled back under the weight of emotion the accusation carried with it. His soldiers were watching with concern, and more than one tried to reach to him with their own Connection, but he withdrew from them. He kept the line between himself and the Elders open and forced himself to march forward. Whatever was happening there, whatever was going on, he had to trust his friends could handle their side. And he would handle his. Yuu took his sword and plunged it into the gut of his enemy. That was when it happened.

As he lunged, he saw a flash of light, and he felt his body but it was not his own. Gone was the battlefield, here was the Great Tree. And he was tall. Taller than he’d ever been. The scene in front of him confused him. Shouyou was sitting in the centre of the Great Tree. There were six of his friends in front of him, but their positions seemed weird. There were angry voices, shouting and he could feel rage welling up inside of him as he readied to lunge forward, but where was the enemy? Ahead. Ahead. That’s all he knew. And then Kiyoko was there, in front of him, back to him and spear turned on the enemy…turned on…the Elders?

He let go of his sword. The enemy’s body slumped forward, lifeless. Yuu stumbled back, and fell onto his backside. He could hear everyone around him now, the celebration going on in the minds of others, could feel them projecting their feelings of relief, joy, exhaustion. It was too much. But it would be over soon. The Elders knew of their victory. They would wake Shouyou from his trance, and the Connection would be broken.

Yuu took in a shaky breath and focused on calming himself. He didn’t understand what he saw, or even who’s view it had been. There was no voice, no welcome or greeting when he saw what he did. The only thing he felt was a cold rage. The ground beneath him was slick with blood and he couldn’t get the coppery smell out of his head. Everyone else went on cheering obliviously. He couldn’t blame them; three weeks of fighting a battle against a race hellbent on destroying them and taking their land, and now they finally had more than a brief reprieve. But he felt tired. He just wanted to go home, wash up, rest, and spend time with his beloved Asahi.

He could still feel the connection. What was taking so long? Was Shou really deep into his trance? Or was there something else? Were they attacked?! Yuu closed his eyes. He focused on his own Connection and then reached out. It didn’t take him long at all to find Asahi’s. When he did, he reached out to it, only to jump back, feeling as though he’d been slapped. It was shocking, the rage coming from the other man. It was familiar though, and he realized Asahi had been the one he had Connected to before.

_Asahi!_ He reached out again, worried.

_Yuu?!_ Asahi sounded surprised, but Yuu could feel the underlying emotions still; anger, rage, _betrayal._

_Asahi, what’s going on?! Why is Shou still Connecting us? Why are you angry? What is happening there?_

Instead of an answer, all he got was rage, confusion, grief…fear? And then Asahi’s Connection was cut off. Or so he thought. But after a moment, he found it was still there, only muted. And he couldn’t access it. He could see, he could feel the life of his love, but he couldn’t Connect. Frantically, Yuu reached out to others who remained in the Great Tree, anxious to know what happened. But he found them all to be the same. Muted. Blocked off. As if they were there, but not _truly_ there. All of them. Asahi, Tetsurou, Daichi, Koushi, Aone, Akira, Yuuji…not Kiyoko. She wasn’t there at all. Her Connection was completely gone.

Yuu’s eyes snapped open, and he looked around frantically. The celebrating seemed to have calmed…and now he found himself met with expressions of confusion. With his Connection, he could feel their uncertainty. Why could they still feel each other? Was Shouyou not finished? Was there more to come they weren’t aware of before?

The confusion lasted several moments before the voices of their Elders could be heard.

_We can hear your confusion and worry,_ Ikkei Ukai announced. _And you are right to be upset. We have been betrayed._

Fear coursed through everyone. Yuu felt the blood drain from his head and he shuddered.

_Fear no longer, we have dispatched the traitor,_ Ikkei continued.

_Why are we still Connected? What happened to Shouyou?_ Yuu couldn’t help but ask. He barely managed to hold back from demanding about Asahi.

_The One Who Connects and his Chosen Guardians saw the good the Connection did for all of us. They volunteered themselves to keep the Connection flowing for the good of all of us. All but one. The traitor. Kiyoko._

Yuu stared at the ground with wide eyes. He didn’t move, didn’t speak. He stared at the ground, at the blood on the dirt. And in his mind, he heard the words: ‘ _stop! What are you doing? TRAITOR.’_

***

Hitoka woke up to the cheering. She could hear everyone shouting and cheering, but not out loud. Her aunty said this was part of the ‘Connection’, the thing that would help them win the war. She uncurled from where she’d been resting in the corner, bare feet on dirt floor. With a yawn, she stood up and looked around. Aunty Hana said stay in here with Aunty Runa until she said to come out. The room was small and crowded, with the afternoon sun streaming in through the window. Hitoka looked over and saw her Aunty Runa sitting on a wooden chair reading, feet carefully off the ground.

“A-aunty Runa, do you hear them?” she asked quietly. Runa started and looked up, wide eyed.

“Oh, Hitoka, you’re awake,” the twelve-year-old observed. Hitoka nodded.

“Do you hear them?” she repeated. Runa tilted her head and then carefully put her feet to the ground. A look of understanding passed through her mind.

“Oh, it’s over,” she sighed out with a smile. Hitoka returned the smile.

“Yay! Now momma and papa can come home. They’ve been gone for…for…forever!!” she exclaimed. Runa smiled fondly at her niece. Even though they were only six years apart, she took her role as aunty very seriously.

“They’ve only been gone for three weeks. And actually, we did see them a few days ago, before they went with Shouyou,” she answered with a shake of her head. Hitoka pouted.

“It _feels_ like forever, though,” she muttered and crossed her arms. Her Aunty Runa sighed and placed her book down. She ran a hand through her light-coloured hair and gave Hitoka a gentle smile.

“Here, Hitoka, come. I’ll braid your hair all pretty for you to show your momma and papa,” she suggested. Hitoka brightened and nodded. She skipped over to Aunty Runa and knelt in front of her. Her aunty ran her fingers through Hitoka’s soft blonde hair. She hummed softly as she worked her fingers through it and began to braid. Hitoka leaned into her hands. She liked Aunty Runa’s humming. But the other noises were distracting. The cheering, other people’s feelings. She didn’t like that. Hitoka fidgeted, trying to find a way to stop her skin from touching the ground while she knelt on it. Aunty Runa stopped as Hitoka continued to fidget. “Hitoka? Are you alright?”

“I-it’s too loud!” Hitoka mumbled and she fidgeted again.

“Hmmm,” the older girl replied. She got up and Hitoka watched curiously as her Aunty Runa grabbed a blanket from a bed in the corner. She laid the blanket out on the ground and gestured to it. “There, see Hitoka? We can sit on this and that way we won’t hear the others,” she murmured with a small smile. Hitoka brightened and smiled.

“Ok!” she agreed as she scrambled onto the blanket and placed herself in front of Aunty Runa again. The warm afternoon sun felt good and she was comfortable on the blanket with her aunty. After her hair was braided, they curled up and Aunty Runa read to her some of the lessons she was learning. Hitoka’s eyes felt heavy, and it wasn’t long before she was asleep again.

When she woke again, it was dark and she was cold. Hitoka sat up and rubbed her eyes. She patted the blanket next to her, but couldn’t find her Aunty Runa. Climbing to her feet, she looked stumbled her way to the door. There was a light under it, coming from the next room. Hitoka was almost at the door when she heard it; the sound of someone crying. Her little heart sped up and she rushed forward to shove the door open and stumble into the other room of their two-room home. A candle lit on the table was the source of light. Around the table sat Aunty Runa…Aunty Hana…and…

“Uncle Yuu!” Hitoka cried with a smile, her worries momentarily forgotten. She flung herself at the man and he caught her.

“Woah there, Hitoka,” he greeted her. He wasn’t actually related through blood, but she’d known him her whole life and had called him ‘uncle’ since day one. Yuu wrapped his arms around her tightly and lifted her into his lap. “What are you doing awake?” His voice sounded different. Almost like he was sick, or crying…he looked like he was crying.

Hitoka swung her gaze between her aunts and her uncle. All three of them seemed sad. “Why is everyone so sad?” She looked around again. “Where’s momma and papa?” Uncle Yuu made a face she couldn’t understand and looked at her Aunty Hana. Aunty Hana looked like she was trying not to cry. Aunty Runa was actually crying. “Aunty Hana? Why is everyone sad? Where are my momma and papa?” Hitoka repeated. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew something was wrong. Aunty Hana looked away from her, running a hand through her short brown hair and sniffling.

“Hitoka,” her Uncle Yuu called to get her attention. Hitoka looked up at him again. “Hitoka…what I’m going to say is not easy, ok?” Hitoka tilted her head, eyes wide.

“Ok,” she answered. She couldn’t imagine what Uncle Yuu was going to say, so she didn’t bother trying.

“Hitoka…do you know what it means…to do something ‘for the greater good’?” Uncle Yuu asked.

Hitoka frowned. This sounded like something she heard before, but she didn’t really get it. She shook her head.

“Ah, that’s ok. It means, doing something that maybe isn’t good for you, but is good for lots of others,” he explained gently. Hitoka nodded slowly. “Ok. Well. Your…your p-papa decided to do something for the greater good. He’s in the Great Tree and he is helping provide energy for Shouyou to keep us all Connected. You remember Shouyou?” Hitoka nodded vigorously. She liked Shouyou. He was nice to her, and he didn’t look scary. “Well, the Elders said lots of good things happened with his Connection helping all of us, so Shouyou decided to keep doing it. Shouyou needed some help, so your papa…he decided to help.” Aunty Runa sniffled and wiped her eyes with her hand as Uncle Yuu finished speaking.

“…so papa is doing a good thing?” Hitoka asked. Uncle Yuu nodded.

“Yeah. A-a really good thing,” he mumbled. Hitoka smiled.

“Ok! I will just see papa after he’s done doing that,” she declared. Uncle Yuu bit his lip and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked really sad.

“Hitoka. He won’t be done. He’s going to do this for the rest of his life,” he explained gently. Hitoka blinked. Aunty Runa burst into sobs. Aunty Hana slammed her hands on the table.

“I’m telling you, Yuu! He wouldn’t have done that! Yuuji would never leave his child alone like this! He wouldn’t put this silly Connection over her! He wouldn’t abandon us for this!” she shouted. Hitoka jumped at the volume and clung tighter to Uncle Yuu.

Uncle Yuu adjusted his grip to accommodate her better before he replied. “And I’m telling you, we heard this directly from the Elders. Are you saying…are you saying they’re lying?” His voice dropped low and Hitoka listened with wide eyes.

“…I’m saying,” Aunty Hana hissed, as quiet as Uncle Yuu was, “that I know my brother! He would never abandon his daughter and two sisters like this!” She glared at Uncle Yuu, and Hitoka felt afraid. “And I know my sister-in-law. Kiyoko would do anything to protect Hitoka. There’s no way she…she…”

“Well, I know what I heard! And it was through the Connection. There was a traitor,” Uncle Yuu snapped back, tightening his hold on Hitoka just slightly. “And when the Elders spoke, they said…they…they said…” but he trailed off and a tear trailed down his cheek. Slowly, Hitoka reached up and brushed the tear away, just like her momma did when she herself cried. Uncle Yuu looked down at her and tried to smile, but he didn’t look very happy. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and turned back to Aunty Hana. “Hana. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just. I don’t know what to do.”

Aunty Hana shook her head. “Neither do I,” she answered in a tired voice. Aunty Runa continued to sniffle quietly. It was silent for a while. But Hitoka had to ask. She had a burning need to know.

“Uncle Yuu?” She tilted her head to look up at him again. He looked down at her.

“…yes?” he sounded like he didn’t want to talk anymore, but Hitoka decided to ask anyway.

“Where’s my momma?”

Uncle Yuu closed his eyes again. After a moment, tears started to slide out of them and down his cheeks. He took a deep breath. Hitoka looked at her aunties, but neither of them would look at her. Hitoka heard Uncle Yuu swallow and then he gently squeezed her in a hug. “Hito-Hitoka,” he whispered and his voice sounded like it hurt. “Hitoka, I am so, so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Hitoka was scared to ask but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Hitoka, your momma is not coming home,” Uncle Yuu murmured. Hitoka felt her eyes get hot with tears. Her throat hurt all of a sudden, and she forced herself to swallow so she could speak.

“Is…is momma doing the good thing too?”

Uncle Yuu hesitated, then shook his head. “Hitoka. I’m so sorry. Your momma…she…died in the war.” Hitoka blinked her wide brown eyes. Uncle Yuu finally opened his and looked down at her. “I-I’m so, so sorry.” Hitoka blinked again. Her bottom lip trembled and she felt her tears burning down her cheeks.

“I-I-I w-want my mom-momma and- and papa!!!” she wailed finally. She was crying and couldn’t stop. There was no stopping. She couldn’t see, she couldn’t hear, all she could feel was Uncle Yuu’s arms around her and his shirt in her fists. She clung to him tighter. “Wh-why can’t I have m-m-momma and p-papa?” Uncle Yuu held her as tightly as he could and rubbed her back. “Momma? Papa? C-come ba-ack!”

***

**Fifty years later:**

Tobio woke to cold. It was so cold. Why was it cold? He sat up and looked around. There was his blanket…hanging in the air? “Now, now, little Tobio, do you want us to be late? Your mother said you weren’t ready, but I thought you’d be awake at the very least,” came a familiar, taunting voice.

Tobio blinked. “Ah, I’m sorry, Tooru,” he mumbled. The blanket was dropped to the floor to reveal a smug-looking Tooru, dressed in his formal wear, as all citizens wishing to visit the Great Tree should be. Standing behind Tooru, in the doorway, was Hajime, Tooru’s best friend. He had his arms crossed and looked like he was scowling, but Tobio knew that was just his face. Tobio nodded a greeting to him and crawled out of his bed. He grabbed the clothes, which he’d laid out the night before. Turning around, he said, “please let me get dressed and I’ll be out.” Tooru rolled his eyes and was about to reply, no doubt something about how they are all men, but Hajime grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the room, with a quick nod to Tobio before he closed the door. Tobio dressed quickly. He splashed some water on his face from his bedside basin and attempted to fix his hair. He squinted into his little mirror, hoping he didn’t look too informal or unkempt.

Tobio sighed. He hated his face. Sharp features, with a small nose, blue eyes, and framed by black hair. His mother always told him he looked a lot like his grandmother. He didn’t want to look like her. No one would want that.

Giving himself one last look, and straightening his shirt slightly, Tobio left his room. He made his way down the creaking stairs. They were sloppily added on shortly before he was born, an attempt for his mother and father to have some privacy while still sharing the house with his great-uncle, his great-aunt, and eventually him. That was before his father decided he couldn’t deal with the tarnished family his mother had.

As he entered the larger of the two ground-level rooms, Tobio saw his two friends – were they his friends, or were they only acquaintances? He didn’t really know. Tobio was never sure about those things – chatting politely with his mother.

“Ah, Tobio,” his mother greeted him. “Good morning. Here, I have some bread for you.” Tobio greeted his mother and hastily wolfed down the bread. His mother was stirring a pot over their little hearth. No doubt it was breakfast for his great-uncle.

“Come now, Tobio. Let’s not be laaate,” Tooru called as he was already halfway out the door. Hajime just sighed.

“We won’t be late,” he corrected. Tooru rolled his eyes.

“We wiiiiiill if _someone_ doesn’t hurry up!”

Tobio tilted his head and drank the glass of milk his mother just handed to him. He could feel Tooru and Hajime through the Connection with all of their feet bare on the ground. Nearly everyone wore their feet bare, and it had become common to distrust those who didn’t, as they were likely trying to hide something. Why else would they cover the part of them that Connected them to everyone? As such, it was required that everyone wear their feet bare if they were going to the Great Tree. If there was something you had that was private, it was expected that you would not bring it forward into the Connection, and it was expected that others would respect that. Regardless, Tobio could feel through the connection that neither of the other two boys held any ill-intent toward him. This emboldened him a little and he reached out to their consciousnesses specifically. _Are we friends?_ It was the question he was too afraid to ask out loud.

Both of the other boys blinked at him. “Huh?” Hajime’s frown seemed to deepen, but through the Connection, Tobio felt confusion.

“Why are you asking that _now_?” Tooru replied. “That’s something you ask, like…three years ago. What the heck.” He shook his head and turned away. “Let’s goooooo already.” _Of course we are, idiot._

Tobio blinked and nodded. “R-right.” He went to follow his…friends…out the door, but turned back at the last moment. “Ah, mother. Wish Great-Uncle Yuu a good morning from me, please.” His mother smiled at him, her brown eyes warm. She nodded, strands of blonde hair slipping out of her bun.

“Yes, of course, Tobio,” she replied. Tobio nodded and closed the door firmly as he left.

***

The three boys arrived at the Great Tree without incident. They saw others of their cohort gathered in front, waiting. Tobio followed Tooru and Hajime over to the other students. They were all studying to join their peoples’ armed forces. As part of the curriculum, the students were given a tour of the Great Tree and a refresher on their history.

Tooru immediately greeted several other students and dragged them into conversation. Hajime didn’t really join in, but he kept an eye on Tooru, making sure he didn’t cause a scene. Tobio just sighed and turned to look up at the Great Tree. He had no inclination to socialize with all the other students. He spoke with Hajime and Tooru. They were his friends. He didn’t understand the need to talk with everyone else when he hadn’t known them that long. And having some friends was good, but whether it was two friends or twenty was not going to affect his goal. So why bother to make twenty? …It wasn’t like he understood how to make friends very well anyway.

As he watched the Great Tree, Tobio found the pulsing of blue through the vines growing on it to be very soothing. It was a pretty colour, and the more he stared at it, the warmer and more content he felt. His vision started to narrow, until all he could see was the pulsing blue. Then the blue became lighter and lighter, until it was white. The white should have been disturbing, but Tobio didn’t find it to be that way. It was warm, comforting, as if he was surrounded by a bunch of people who cared for him. As he focused on the white, Tobio realized it wasn’t really white, but multiple colours, all of the colours, together, shimmering. And underneath those colours was a presence. It wasn’t loud or bright, but large, soft, warm, comforting. He’d never focused this hard before, never had to look this deep to find a consciousness. He couldn’t tell who it was; the only thing he could feel or hear from the consciousness was:

_Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect._

Curious, Tobio prodded at the large consciousness. But no one responded. He poked again, reached out to grasp it, to tug, but there was no response. Tobio felt frustration course through him. He wanted to see this person, whoever they were, who could control such power, whose Connection was so strong. Reaching out with his mind again, he grabbed the consciousness and yanked. The response was not what he expected. For all his strength and control he used, the consciousness merely shifted, like a cat that didn’t want to wake from its nap, no matter how much a person poked it.

Speaking of pokes…a sharp jab to his ribs brought Tobio out of his focus. Blinking, he turned to his right to see Hajime giving him an odd look. Hajime jerked his head in the direction of a woman who was addressing their group. Tobio’s cheeks pinkened and he nodded, feeling slightly dumb that he almost missed the start of the tour. He’d missed the woman’s introduction, and he wasn’t about to ask for another one, so he stayed quiet and just followed along with the rest of the group.

The first part of the tour involved going around the base of the Great Tree to the temple that was next to it. The temple was connected to the Great Tree with a tunnel-bridge formed from the Tree’s own branches. Two priests and a Candidate, that is, someone training for the priesthood, lived at the temple currently. They showed the students around the temple. It was modest, with a small alter to honour the Tree and all the creatures abiding in it. The tunnel brought them to the centre of the Great Tree. The students were required to stay back, not allowed to get too close to the raised area in the centre, the place where The One Who Connects and his Chosen Guardians rested, bodies never changing, never aging, never ailing. They were only allowed to observe from afar. And observe they did. All of them craned their necks, stood on tip toes, inched forward as much as they were allowed, whatever they could to catch a glimpse of the ones who helped tip the war in their favour and then allowed them to continue living with the Connection in their daily lives. Tobio tried as hard as the others. In his mind, he could see the bird’s-eye-view from his readings, the one that showed where each Guardian stood in relation to The One Who Connects. He knew the one he was looking for. His grandfather. Yuuji. The one part of their family that kept them from becoming total disgraces. He longed to see him, to look him in the eyes and tell him that he, Tobio, would do his best. He would work hard and become the best warrior. And then, he would restore their family’s honour. Tobio liked to hope his grandfather would be proud. But he couldn’t get the proper position to see him. Not with all these others in the way.

It was as their tour-guide called for the group to move on, to climb to the second level so they might see the view of their city from the heights of the Great Tree, to see where the Elders kept watch, that Tobio purposefully hung back. He waited until the others were all gone before creeping forward. He reached the marker that stated where they could not cross and hesitated…but he needed to get closer. Close enough to see his grandfather’s face. With a deep breath, Tobio gathered his courage and darted forward to the Core. He climbed up to it, and paused once he reached the area. In the very centre, he could see _him_. The One Who Connects. He was a young man, who didn’t look much older than Tobio did, but that was due to the preservation of the Great Tree. He was covered in vines, his eyes closed, and a pulsing blue light emitting from him and into the vines. He looked serene.

After admiring The One Who Connects, Tobio gave a small bow and continued in his search. Surrounding the man in the centre of the Tree, spaced away from him about six feet, were seven pedestals. Each pedestal held a different Guardian. All of them were covered in vines. That didn’t matter. Tobio knew which one he needed to go to. He stopped in front of his grandfather’s pedestal. He looked up at the man, wanting to look into his face and tell him his plan, even if the man was in a trance, even if he would never really know Tobio. With a shaking hand, he reached up to gently brush the vines and leaves out of the Guardian’s face. When he did, he stumbled back in surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
> 
> I decided to go with Tobio being a little more innocent and a little less cold, and I have him on friendly terms with Tooru because they don't really have anything in this story to actually compete over, and I think that without that causing him to be jealous or afraid of losing, Tooru is probably nicer to Tobio and probably doesn't mind him as much. Also, I am just a sucker for Good Friend Tooru Oikawa, because I think that is just so sweet :)
> 
> But don't get me wrong, they still have ambitions, the pair of them. 
> 
> Love you all, and please stay as safe and healthy as you can! 
> 
> Hugs!!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio is trying to figure out the truth.

Tobio wasn’t sure exactly what he expected to see. He’d seen images of his grandfather before, through his mother’s memories, but they were always burry; the memories of a young child too distant to be really clear. He knew his grandfather’s general appearance. What surprised him was the expression frozen on the man’s face. He stumbled back but quickly regained his footing. The vine he brushed out of the way remained off to the side, his grandfather’s face now in the open, visible to anyone who got close enough. His handsome face. His familiar face. Twisted in a look of absolute rage.

Tobio blinked as he stared at his grandfather’s expression. He looked ready to kill. One could argue it was the intensity of the situation, or the fact that his wife turned out to be a traitor, that contributed to his expression, but Tobio couldn’t understand why he would have that much aggression. The battle had taken place far from the Great Tree, and Yuuji’s wife was already dead when they decided to join the One Who Connects and provide the strength and power for the network their people survived on today. _And would someone who sacrificed so willingly, do it with such a look of rage?_ Tobio wondered. Something stirred in his gut. A feeling of unease. _Something is wrong here._

Tobio pressed his lips together and stood up straight. He felt the urge to investigate further. With shaking hands, he strode up to another Guardian. All of them were in a similar state of being covered by leaves and vines. Holding his breath, Tobio gently pushed aside the vines covering the face of the Guardian he knew to be Tetsurou…and blinked, eyes widening. The Gaurdian glared ahead, mouth open, as if he were about to yell, but no sound came out. He was frozen, as solid and unmoving as the rest of the Guardians. Tobio swallowed thickly and turned to yet another Guardian. Koushi. He almost tore the vines off in his rush to know.

Koushi was different than the other two; slimmer, but still strong. His face was not twisted in rage. No. His eyes were wide…wide with fear. Tobio backed away. “What happened here?” he mumbled to himself, eyes wide.

He didn’t pay attention to his feet, where he was going, the ground covered in vines. He forgot how close the Guardians were to the One Who Connects. What happened next could be sacrilege; when Tobio thought of it later on, he was certain that would be the term to describe it. Though he wasn’t the best with words.

Tobio’s heel caught slipped off a vine as he walked backward. With a surprised gasp, he tumbled backward, arms flailing until he hit… _something_. It was like touching lightning in a storm. Energy burned and sizzled under his skin and Tobio’s vision went white. The world around him grew loud, too loud. Everything. He could hear everything. Buzzing. Chirping. Laughter. Whispers. He heard it all. White surrounded him on all sides, but when he concentrated on any one spot, he could see the white dissolve into hundreds, or maybe thousands, of threads of every colour imaginable. And in the background of it all, a voice, a steady chant.

_Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect. Connect._

Tobio gasped…or he thought he did. He couldn’t feel the air enter his lungs. He couldn’t feel his lungs, or any part of his body, at all for that matter. He couldn’t see himself, even if he looked down. What _was_ down, again? Which way was it? Where was forward? Where was behind? Where was _he?_ _Who_ was he?

_Connect. Connect. Connect. I am connect. I connect. You are connect. Connect. Connect! CONNECT!_

The response shocked Tobio to his core and he found himself thrown back in his own consciousness. He was gasping, his limbs shaking, laying on the something. Someone shouted next to him, calling something. He couldn’t understand. It was like trying to listen to speech through water. His vision was black, and his head felt like it was full of lead, too heavy and ready to burst.

Eventually, the trembling stopped and the darkness in his vision faded away. Tobio blinked. His breathing was ragged as he struggled to sit up, trying to take in his surroundings and determine where exactly he was.

“I think he’s done seizing!” a voice called. He knew that voice. Familiar, strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, trying to support him. “Easy there, Tobio.” Tobio shook his head and tried to turn and see who was behind him. When his body wouldn’t respond the exact way he wanted, Tobio frowned. He reached for his consciousness.

“Don’t!” another voice shouted, this one familiar as well, but more like he’d heard it recently rather than he knew it from years of being around it. “Do not use your Connection, my boy! You had a seizure. Your mind cannot handle the strain of Connecting to the Great Tree right now.” Tobio blinked and turned, this time successful. He was met with a face, one that was pretty and usually had a smug expression, but now held worry-filled eyes.

“Hey there, Tobio,” Tooru’s voice was unusually kind. Tobio frowned.

“He may not recognize you,” the other voice called, and Tobio looked behind Tooru to see one of the priests from the temple. He wasn’t very tall, his skin covered in wrinkles, and he had neatly parted silver hair and kind brown eyes filled with concern. “It is not uncommon when someone has a seizure for them to be confused for a short while afterward.” Tobio blinked again and his frown deepened.

“I know who Tooru is. I didn’t have a…a…what was it?” Tobio replied. He shifted his legs. There was a wet spot between them and Tobio’s cheeks reddened as he realized he’d wet himself.

“A seizure. Pretty sure you did,” Hajime’s calm voice joined in. Tobio jumped. He hadn’t even noticed his other friend was there, he was so quiet. But there he was, standing behind Tooru, with the priest. “You were thrashing and flailing there, and your consciousness was going haywire. Everyone could feel it. It was flaring and then disappearing. We thought you were dying.” His voice was calm, but his expression was tight.

“We should get you to the hospital, where they have supplies to examine you and treat any injuries you may have sustained,” the priest continued. Tobio shook his head.

“No. I’m not…I don’t need treatment. I don’t even know who you are,” he protested as he pulled away from Tooru, glare directed at the priest. The priest paused, and then gave him a gentle smile.

“Of course. I apologize for assuming you remembered me, we only just met today, after all. I am Chikara Ennoshita,” he apologized. Tobio tilted his head.

“Your name sounds familiar,” he mumbled.

“Of course it does! He’s the High Priest,” Tooru exclaimed in exasperation. “And we are going to the hospital! We’ve already been excused from the tour today, so let’s go!” He looked very determined. Tobio shot a hesitant glance at Hajime, hoping the other boy would back him up and let him just go home, but he only received a very stern look and a shake of the head. Tobio sighed but nodded. Tooru and Hajime helped him to stand, and he followed the priest with a friend on either side to help him if needed.

***

Hisashi Kinnoshita thought devoting his life to the priesthood was the easy path. The path with the least resistance. The path he could take that would allow him to contribute to the community without too much excitement or putting himself in danger. That was the whole reason he was a Candidate right now. He was not expecting some kid barely old enough to be training as a soldier to _collide with the One Who Connects and have a seizure._ And he didn’t expect that he would be the one left with clean up.

Hisashi sighed as he hauled the bucket and rag up to the Core of the Great Tree. He wrinkled his nose when he found the spot where the boy had been. There were wet spots where his head was, as he foamed at the mouth, and a larger wet spot that stunk of urine. Hisashi did feel sorry for the boy. To lose control of all his brain functions was scary enough, without the added embarrassment of his body acting on its own. With another sigh, he knelt down and began to scrub away the mess in the Great Tree. He carefully moved around the vines and made sure not to disturb the natural layout any more than necessary.

When he finished, Hisashi sat back on his knees and ran a hand through his short hair. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and when he opened them again, his gaze was drawn to The One Who Connects. The young man looked completely unaware of anything that had occurred, and Hisashi supposed he might be. After all, in order to become the connection for everyone else, he would have had to give up his own consciousness, his body becoming nothing more than a shell, housing his power and nothing more. Or so it was taught.

Hisashi paused in his thoughts as his eyes roamed over the face of the young man in front of him. There was a detail, small enough most people wouldn’t have noticed, but to Hisashi, who had been to the Great Tree daily and had memorized the face of The One Who Connects, it was glaringly obvious. There was a tiny crinkle between his eyebrows. Just the smallest wrinkle in an otherwise smooth, unblemished face. Without thinking, he spoke out loud. “Do you know more than we think?” he asked the young man.

The response he got startled him, as it came from behind. “Who are you speaking to, Hisashi?” Hisashi flinched and turned around quickly. He swallowed as he stood and faced one of his mentors.

“K-Kazuhito,” he greeted quickly, bowing to the old, bald priest. “I…I…uh, was talking…outloud…to…um…”

“Were you talking to The One Who Connects?” the priest’s expression was gentle and his words were spoken softly. Hisashi shut his mouth abruptly and nodded. Kazuhito smiled at him. “I like to speak to him at times as well.” Hisashi blinked.

“You…you don’t think I’m weird? That it’s crazy to talk to someone who…who doesn’t know what I’m saying?” He asked. Kazuhito raised an eyebrow.

“Are you certain that he doesn’t?”

Hisashi eyed The One Who Connects from the corner of his eye. He flicked his gaze back to Kazuhito and replied, “um…but he’s not there. It’s not possible, right? That’s what we’re all taught, right when we start learning to control our own Connections and figure out our own consciousnesses. No one can sustain as many connections as He does, and anyone who tries would go mad as they lose their sense of self.”

Kazuhito hummed with a small smile. “I wonder,” he spoke quietly, “is that true? Sometimes when I speak to him, I can almost see the expressions he had as a child resurfacing. It’s true that no one else has been able to sustain this large a connection that we know of, but Shouyou was always special. He may very well be the exception to every rule.” Hisashi chewed on his bottom lip.

“You…you knew him?”

Kazuhito said nothing for a moment, walking right up to The One Who Connects and staring at him with a fond expression. “I knew them all.” He kept his gaze fixed forward as he spoke, but Hisashi could swear he saw a glimmer in the old priest’s eyes that wasn’t there before. Then, he tore his gaze from the young man in the centre of the Core and allowed it to roam to each of the pedestals, where the Guardians stood, covered in leaves and vines. Hisashi followed his gaze and was surprised to see some of the vines had been moved on two of the Guardians. Blinking, he stepped toward them. The Guardians were…angry? What was this?

Hisashi turned around with a frown. “Um…why…why do they look…like that?” he asked hesitantly. Kazuhito’s smile was gone and his face was…sad? _What is going on?_ Hisashi wondered.

“The Elders say it was the force of maintaining the connection and giving their support to Shouyou,” Kazuhito answered, but his tone was…different. Cold.

Hisashi swallowed as he realized. “You don’t believe that, though.” He spoke quietly, afraid of someone overhearing, even though the likelihood was small. Speaking against the Elders, the ones chosen to guide and watch over them from above, was too close to blasphemy. “What do you think of it, then?”

Kazuhito didn’t acknowledge the question right away. He stared at the faces of the uncovered Guardians. “What do I think?” he mused with a humourless smile. He turned his gaze to Hisashi, and Hisashi found himself shivering at the cold warning in his eyes. “Do not ask questions you are not ready to hear the answers to.” Kazuhito stepped forward and Hisashi scrambled out of his way. The priest didn’t stop or look at him again. He walked up to the Guardians with uncovered faces and gently repositioned the vines and leaves to cover their faces once more. Then he turned and left the Core without a word. Hisashi stared after him for a moment. Then he hastily picked up his bucket and rag and followed the old priest back to the temple.

***

The hospital was a single-story building Tobio was very familiar with. Not because he was injured or ill often, but he had been to visit one of its inhabitants somewhat frequently when he was younger. Now, being the one in the hospital bed was a new experience for him. Tobio followed all the instructions of the physician for the physical exam, able to flex and extend all his limbs and able to see normally. The exam of his consciousness was more…invasive. The physician gave him a few minutes to prepare. Then he poked and prodded at Tobio’s thoughts, his ability to recall things, tugged at his consciousness to see how much control he retained over it.

When it was done, he opened his eyes and Tobio opened his. The physician smiled at him. “It seems you have no lasting damage. Your consciousness and Connection are in perfect working order and I can see no physical problems. You are free to go back to your home. Just to be safe, I would say continue to avoid using your Connection for the next three days.”

Tobio thanked the man and was getting to his feet when his mother burst into the room.

“Tobio! Tobio, are you alright? They said something happened and I felt you in my Connection briefly before you were cut off! I came as soon as I heard from the Head Priest!” His mother blurted her words out in between gasps. She must have run the entire way. Tobio glanced at his friends, who both gave him looks that said ‘she’s your mom, you tell her’. He pressed his lips together in a thin line. He wasn’t good at this. But the doctor said no using his Connection for three days.

“Um. I fell at the Great Tree. And I ended up having a seizure,” he mumbled. He thought it might be wise to leave out the bit about The One Who Connects. His mother always got more anxious when he brought Him up.

His mother’s eyes widened, and she looked at the physician. “Ah, he should be fine to go back home. He just has to avoid using his Connection for a few days,” the physician stated with a reassuring smile.

“Oh. Ok,” his mother nodded, but her gaze still looked nervous. She finally seemed to register the other two boys standing next to her son. His mother smiled weakly at them. “Thank you both for taking care of my son.” They both nodded.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Hajime told her. “We’ll be leaving now, though.” He took Tooru’s hand and led him away. Tobio looked at his mother.

“Um. So they were saying I can go home now,” he told her. His mother nodded.

“Right! Of course! Let’s go,” she announced and gestured for him to come to her. Tobio tilted his head.

“Um. I was just wondering…”

His mother stopped and looked at him with concern. “Yes, Tobio?”

“Could…could I visit Great Aunty Hana while we’re here?” he asked. He bit his lip to keep himself from telling his mother why. Even so, his mother winced.

“…um…I don’t think today would be a good day to do that,” she replied, trying to keep her tone as light as possible. She failed. Tobio could hear the tension in her voice easily. “With everything that happened, you’ll be exhausted and you should really rest…Aunty Hana can be very stressful and hard to interact with at the best of times, you know,” she continued. Tobio nodded, but he couldn’t keep the disappointment from spreading to his face. His mother looked at him, then glanced away, chewing her lip. “Um. How about this? If you’re feeling up to it tomorrow, you can come back and visit Aunty Hana?” At that, Tobio nodded. His mother gave him a strained smile. “Ok. Let’s go home, then.” Tobio nodded again and followed her out of the hospital. It was not a long walk to their home, and in no time Tobio was eating a warm meal and then tucking himself into his bed. His body ached and his head felt heavy with exhaustion. He closed his eyes to sleep, blanket pulled up comfortably to his chin. It was not long until he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

The next day was a bit of a blur to Tobio. He had training for the morning, and then lectures in the afternoon. Though, the instructors did excuse him from having to participate in anything too physically demanding, due to the events at the Great Tree the day before. Tobio latched onto the excuse and didn’t even try to pay attention. He only focused on one thing the entire day.

After his lessons were finished and he could leave for the day, Tobio left the battle-school and made his way to the hospital. His mother had looked unhappy when he told her that morning he was still going to visit his great aunt, but she didn’t try to stop him. He had questions about his grandfather, and his grandmother. And who better to answer them than his grandfather’s older sister?

Tobio approached the familiar building, trying not to think about his own visit there the day before, and walked to the wing that housed elderly people who couldn’t live on their own anymore. He nodded at the workers caring for them. Several of them smiled as they saw him enter and put on a pair of slippers. This section of the hospital was one of the few places where it was mandatory that staff and visitors control their Connections and wear footwear to prevent the chance of Connecting with a resident there. It was for the safety of everyone involved; Connections could be overwhelming to elderly people who no longer had presence of mind and were living in their pasts, and they could be confusing and dangerous to the workers if some of the residents, the ones who had no control over their Connections, suddenly Connected to them to show them memories or disturbing thoughts. Tobio didn’t mind. Afterall, he wasn’t supposed to use his Connection today, so putting on the slippers actually helped him.

The layout of the ward was simple; there was a large area for the residents to congregate in for meals and to visit if they chose, with a station with a large countertop for the staff to keep their records behind, and three hallways full of doors where the residents of the facility stayed. Tobio walked down the closest hallway, all the way to the end and knocked on the last door on his left before he opened it and entered. Inside, in her rocking chair, sat his Great Aunt Hana. Her hair was long and white and her brown eyes stared at him, narrowed in suspicion. Tobio swallowed, a little nervous. He hadn’t been here for a while.

“H-hi, Great-Aunty Hana,” he spoke as loudly and clearly as he could. His aunt tilted her head at him.

“Do I know you?” she asked. Tobio felt his spirits drop, but he forced himself to step further into the room and close the door behind him.

“Um, I’m Tobio,” he stated. When her expression didn’t change, he continued “H-Hitoka’s son.”

“Oh, Hitoka,” his aunt leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. “Precious child. I know Hitoka.”

Tobio nodded. He walked over and sat on the bed, smiling slightly at her. “Um. I was hoping we could talk,” he told her.

“Oh, of course, child. You can always talk with me,” his aunt agreed with a smile. Her eyes, which a moment ago were narrowed in suspicion, now were alive with warmth. Tobio could feel himself relaxing as she spoke.

“Aunty, I have some questions I want to ask.”

“Then ask,” She replied, smiling the entire time. She rocked slowly in her chair as she waited for him to speak. Tobio braced himself mentally. There was no easy way to do this. He took a deep breath.

“I went to the Great Tree the other day,” he started cautiously. His aunt nodded, and he continued. “Um. I saw…I saw the One Who Connects.” His aunt stopped rocking and watched him curiously now. “And…I saw my grandpa.” She smiled again.

“Oh, how nice. Who is your grandpa?” She was rocking in her chair again.

“Aunty Hana, you…you know my grandpa,” Tobio spoke slowly, carefully. “My grandpa Yuuji. Your brother.” At that, Hana stopped her rocking again. Her smile disappeared and she frowned as she mouthed the name to herself.

“Yuuji. My Yuuji? You saw my Yuuji? He’s alive! He’s always been alive! I can feel him!” Her eyes were wide now and she leaned forward.

“Y-yes, I saw Yuuji…he was frozen, helping The One Who Connects…like he chose to,” Tobio replied. The response he got was terrifying. His Aunty Hana lunged forward and grabbed onto his knees to support herself as she stood in front of him. She looked directly into his eyes, breathing heavily.

“Yuuji didn’t do that! He would never! He would never! Traitors. TRAITORS! TRAITORS THE LOT OF THEM!” She screamed. Tobio leaned backward, eyes wide. Her pupils were pinpricks, giving his great aunt a wild look. “THEY BETRAYED HIM! THEY BETRAYED HER TOO! IT DOESN’T FIT. NOTHING FITS! EXCEPT BETRAYAL!!”

“Au-aunt Hana, wait – ”

“YUU KNOWS! HE KNOWS! WHAT HE TOLD ME DIDN’T MAKE SENSE UNTIL IT DID AND HE KNOWS AND I KNOW AND YOU SHOULD KNOW TOO!” his aunt continued to scream and Tobio didn’t know how to respond. The door to her room flew open and two staff members rushed in, talking loudly to his aunt, but Tobio couldn’t focus on what they were saying. They managed to pry his aunt’s hands off of him, and guide her gently to her chair, but Tobio stayed there, frozen, until one of them turned to him.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask that you leave for today. I apologize.”

Tobio blinked and nodded. He stood and made his way out the door quickly. He nearly ran down the hall and out the entrance to the hospital wing, and he didn’t slow until he had left the hospital entirely and returned to his own home. He slipped in through the door and looked around. His mother was preparing supper. When Tobio entered, she looked up.

“Tobio,” she greeted with a smile, but her smile fell when she saw his expression. “The visit didn’t go well, did it?” Tobio shook his head. His mother sighed. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she murmured. Tobio walked over and sat at the table, gaze fixed on the wood. “What set her off this time?”

Tobio swallowed. “I…told her about my visit to the Great Tree.” His mother tensed and she shut her eyes with an exasperated sigh.

“Tobio, why would you even bring that up with her? You know how she gets about anything related to that,” his mother chastised him. Tobio hunched in on himself.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was a whisper.

His mother sighed again and sat down across from him. “I know. It’s not your fault that she’s like that. She’s been that way since your grandfather…” his mother trailed off and closed her eyes. After a moment, she continued, “since your grandfather made his…choice. She couldn’t take care of me, she couldn’t take care of Runa, she couldn’t even take care of herself. That’s why she was hospitalized. You know that.” Tobio nodded. “I don’t think it’s good for you to visit her and talk about that stuff.” Another pause, then, “I don’t think it’s good for you to visit her at all. She doesn’t know us anymore, Tobio. Not the way she should. It’s…It’s too hard.”

“But!”

“No, Tobio. It’s hard enough for her without reminders of what happened. And it’s hard enough for us without worrying about not upsetting her in conversation,” his mother interrupted. Tobio pursed his lips and stared at the table. His mother let out yet another sigh. “I don’t want to discuss this anymore. Please take some food to Uncle Yuu. His portion is ready.”

Tobio nodded. His mother got up and grabbed a bowl and a spoon. She handed them to Tobio. He took the food and made his way to his great uncle’s room. His uncle wasn’t really related to them, but he was the one who took Hitoka and Runa in when Hana couldn’t, and he helped Hitoka raise Tobio when his father left them. He was as much family to Tobio as the rest of them were.

Tobio knocked on the door gently before going inside. “Hi Great-Uncle Yuu,” he greeted softly, walking over to the bed. His great uncle sat in the bed, propped up on pillows. His figure was thin, mostly skin and bones, his cheeks hollow, but his brown eyes still shimmered with intelligence.

“Tobio,” he replied, his voice soft and hoarse from years of shouting as a commander. “How are you today?”

“I’m ok…I guess,” Tobio responded. He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat as he handed his uncle the bowl and spoon. His uncle took the food with a nod of thanks.

“You guess? What’s wrong?” he asked as he took a spoonful of his meal. Tobio shrugged and stared at his hands.

“It’s hard to talk about,” he mumbled. His aunt’s words echoed in the back of his mind, and he could feel questions burning inside of him. But he knew. He knew if he asked, he would risk upsetting both his uncle and his mother. So he held back.

“Things often seem hard to talk about until you talk about them,” his uncle replied gently. Tobio looked up at him, to see his uncle’s intense gaze fixed on him. He gave Tobio a smile. “I will be here to talk about your problems when you are ready.” Tobio returned his smile and nodded.

“Thanks, Uncle.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it so far! Please let me know what you think of this work!
> 
> I also recently got a Tumblr. My username is M34GS (big shock, I know) if you wanna check it out :)
> 
> Love you all, and stay safe out there. I offer my love and support to those of you who need it! <3


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